Walking is underestimated.

To improve fitness all you need is to increase your activity levels a little beyond average. In crudely blunt language, can think of it as turning on a signal for your body to grow. "More" after turning on the signal does not grow faster, your body will send similar resources to repair after two working sets in good form as five. Less can be more. Only need progressive overload, one more rep than last workout, slightly more weight than last time. When going from untrained to starting out, you can turn on that signal to send nutrition to muscles to grow with very little effort. Just getting your heart rate above baseline going for a two mile walk every day is an awesome way to kick start the process without wasting effort with injury. Worth practicing set aside ego and take it easy.

When starting out you improve faster than at any other time in your fitness career. Can leverage this as a start small habit. The important thing is to create a system of exercise every day, nurture the habit. Suit up and drive to the gym and change your mind? Count that as a win. Do it again tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow you feel like going in and the workout is awesome. The important thing is maintaining the habit. Counting your wins maintains motivation.

Little habits over time are big changes. Roll a bad habit into a slightly better habit. Keep doing that. Smallest possible step putting force in the direction of change.

Do not stretch before an intense workout. Consensus has changed away from doing so. Instead perform a warm-up prior to beginning your exercise in earnest. Stretching a "cold" muscle could lead to injury itself.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/ask-the-doctor-stretching-before-exercise

https://www.bu.edu/articles/2015/stretch-before-exercise-not-so-fast/

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Doing static stretches before a workout has been show to be bad.

Also I don't think there is any evidence that limbering will reduce muscle soreness.